San Francisco Grand Hotel Teapot Pre 1906 Earthquake Fire Hotelware?

[KevinM]

A few weeks ago I purchased this Hotelware Teapot and Sugar Cup from a thrift Store in the Washington DC area with the Monogram of "GH" on them that was made by the E.H.H. Smith Silver Co., Bridgeport, CT. possibly for the Grand Hotel in San Francisco prior to the 1906 Earthquake and Fire that destroyed both the Palace Hotel and Grand Hotel.

I have been able to locate a Rare Teapot from the Palace Hotel in San Francisco with the Palace Hotel Monogram of the same design made by the E.H.H. Smith Silver Co., Bridgeport, CT, from the same period of time before the Earthquake and Fire that destroyed both Hotels.

Since the two Hotels were once connected together via a covered bridge on the second story I thought perhaps that the Teapot and Sugar Cup I have may have come from the Grand Hotel before the 1906 Earthquake and Fire.

I was also thinking that if an E.H.H. Smith Silver Co. Salesman was in San Francisco at the time making a sale to the Palace Hotel it would make sense that they visit the Grand Hotel across the street while there on business to make another sale.

I have searched for other Grand Hotel Hotelware items on the internet and have found nothing that matches from that time period for both the "GH" Monogram and the Hotelware Maker of E.H.H. Smith Silver Co. There is very little information on the San Francisco Grand Hotel available on the internet. I've also tried other resources in finding this information but have been unsuccessful at this time.

On the bottom of the Sugar Cup it looks like there is also some additional writing engraved on it which I now think says "Smith Silver Co." but it's difficult make out.

Any assistance with resolving which Hotel the "GH" Monogram belongs to and where it was located would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Kevin

[Ipcress]

Well it's more of a coffee pot but looking at the monogram, it is very similar to the one shown in the Palace Hotel museum, and the two hotels were both owned by the same person at least until the death of William Sharon, and were opposite each other.

I'd contact the historian of the Palace Hotel website

[KevinM]

Thanks for your reply Ipcress,

I did send an email to the palace hotel website contact last week but never got a reply. Guess I'll keep on looking.

Thanks,
Kevin

[bigwull]

Thanks for your reply Ipcress,

I did send an email to the palace hotel website contact last week but never got a reply. Guess I'll keep on looking.

Thanks,
Kevin

just an email?....i,d have sent them an album of pictures,

[KevinM]

Well, it was an email with attached pictures... I'm currently looking for old post cards, letter heads and flatware from before the SF earthquake/fire for the grand hotel that may have monograms on them that I can compare. Postcards were a big thing back then and are still very collectible and saved.

Kevin

[bigwull]

How did you get on with that Belle Suisse that you bought for $6

[KevinM]

How did you get on with that Belle Suisse that you bought for $6

Gone, sold within a few hours on Ebay for $50. The buyer contacted me a week later and wanted more of them which I didn't have.

[bigwull]

My Franklin Mint one...went in the bin...it fell out of my pocket from a great height...

[KC]

I have a few silver hotel pieces....these side handled coffee or chocolate pots are the most common of the holloware pieces as you will see the more you look into hotel silver.

Highly collectible.  Proven provenance helps with value.

Hopefully you will hear something back from them.

There are people that would "mimic" the logos of hotels and use their initials.  So, to verify with the hotel would help.

The silver company is definitely within the time period you are referring to.  Why do you believe it is from SF Grand Hotel?

[KevinM]

The silver company is definitely within the time period you are referring to.  Why do you believe it is from SF Grand Hotel?

I think it's possible that it may have come from the SF Grand Hotel although I'm in no way certain, it certainly could have come from another hotel during that time period and the "GH" may not even stand for "Grand Hotel" although I have found a couple other Grand Hotels during that time Period and their Logos were different and the maker of the Hotelware was different. I kept running into dead ends while searching for both Grand Hotel and other names that may have started with the letter "G" and seemed to end back at the SF Grand Hotel. This is why I'm searching for the SF Grand Hotel Monogram to see if it's at least a match to the one I have.

This was the only Hotel that I could find that may have had a possible Hotelware Purchase with the maker (I'm sure there were lots of others) during that short time period since the Palace Hotel also had their Hotelware made by the same maker somewhere between 1904 and 1906 and both Hotels had a relationship with each other in one form or another (Covered Walk bridge, Owners, etc..). It's also possible this Hotelware I have was made between 1906 and 1914, a Monogram match may assist in finding this out.

The SF Palace Hotel used the same company to make their Teapot, E.H.H. Smith Silver Co., Bridgeport, CT, from the same period of time before the Earthquake and Fire that destroyed both Hotels. The E.H.H. Smith Silver Co. was only in business from 1904 to 1914 so this narrows the window of time to a 10 Year Period and even further to about a 2 Year Period before the SF Earthquake and Fire. The Monogram is also very similar to the Teapot at the Palace Hotel Museum.

Also, as I was saying before, I was also thinking that if an E.H.H. Smith Silver Co. Salesman was in San Francisco at the time making a sale to the Palace Hotel it would make sense that they visit the Grand Hotel across the street while there on business to make another sale. Yes there is al lot of speculation and possibilities that go with researching something but you have to travel down the roads that are out there and available.

Kevin

[KC]

I would have reasoned that way as well!

So, to find the evidence.....